POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN MARCH RESOUNDING SUCCESS – OUR NEXT STEPS

POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN MARCH RESOUNDING SUCCESS – OUR NEXT STEPS

Congratulations to every single person and organization that helped to make the 2013 Poor People’s Campaign March a tremendous success! For those who had the privilege of participating it was truly historical. For those of you who could not be there in person, but who sent your support and solidarity, you too were there in every one of our footsteps.

There is so much to write about that inspired us: the courageous delegation of women from Selma, Alabama, who drove the entire night — after their bus was cancelled — to be able to speak in defense of voting rights, their rendition of Freedom Songs kept us marching and marching; the young children and participants with disabilities, seniors who walked with canes, who wouldn’t stop; the families and victims of police terror, especially the tenacious and spirited group who came from the Justice for Alan Blueford Coalition in Oakland, California; the group of occupy youth and members of Guitarmy who marched all night; the organizers like Bob Ross, Prince Georges County NAACP head, who helped keep the march going; the OUR Walmart workers who inspired marchers to defy Walmart bosses and County Police and set up a picket right at the Super Walmart’s doors.

We wanted to especially thank Don Cash Sr., president of the UFCW Minority Coalition, Dr. Steele, national SCLC leader, Deittra Lucas and our sisters and brothers of UFCW Local 400, who continuously lent their support. We also need to recognize USW Local 8751, Boston school bus drivers, whose donations and support made it possible for the poor of Rhode Island and Boston to come by bus and attend. We must also include the many groups from NYC, North Carolina, Philadelphia and many other places who joined with us on that special weekend.

But the biggest inspiration came from the people themselves, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington D.C. who stood in their doorways and streets, opened their windows, and who cheered us and even joined us – making it clear that the issue of poverty is out of the closet and that igniting Rev. King’s dream is an idea whose time has come.

Below this email are links to some of the important news media coverage, videos, and pictures:

OUR NEXT STEPS

Participants vowed to continue the Poor Peoples Campaign and reclaim Dr. King’s revolutionary dream. Many important proposals and initiatives were discussed and consented on during the weekend both before and during Sunday’s Peoples Power Assembly.

The first two in terms of immediate action were: support for the OUR Walmart call for a Freedom March to Bentonville, Arkansas, where workers and supporters will occupy Walmart on June 7, 2013. The other timely issue raised was the defense of the voting rights act which is under attack in the Supreme Court and mobilizing around the 50th anniversary of the Jobs & Freedom March, August 24 to 28.

A special resolution was made to continue with the Poor Peoples Campaign and to fight police terror.

Participants concretely proposed a National “Virtual” Tribunal on police terror and mass incarceration in fall, connected to demanding Congressional hearings to indict killer police, end racism and mass incarceration and demand community control of police. We will be issuing a special call on this

We want to prepare for a spring, 2014 Poor Peoples March to D.C. that moves from being symbolic to concretely expressing what Dr. King originally set out to do – Occupy D.C. During that occupation we will deliberate on a poor and working class agenda for the people. To help accomplish this, we want to build and multiply the Peoples Power Assembly Movement and urge people to hold workers, student, and community assemblies, where ever you are to move the people’s struggle forward.

In the spring of 2014, we want to call on groups, individuals, unions, to come to Washington D.C. to begin anew what Dr. King set out to do. There is no better time now during this special anniversary year to push our plans forward.

Issued by the Baltimore Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Peoples Power Assembly